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Shadow lord
=Crimson Order of the Knights of the Shadows Shadow Lord —or— Death Knight= From The Order among Chaos by Sir Azit ba-Akal Also called a Death Knight, these are considered by many to be the epitome of evil. By combining fierce martial skills with vile necromancy, these unholy warriors are feared throughout Midian. Shadow lords are members of a loose fraternity called the 'Crimson Order of the Knights of the Shadows'. The Order requires no dues of its members, nor has large meetings. It is an association of like-minded individuals. Its members are paired into master-apprentice bonds, with a senior shadow lord training only a single squire at a time. Even after a death knight has been a full member for years, training his own squires, he will still refer to the one who trained him as 'master'. No one is ever removed from the Crimson Order, even through death. Dark and vile deeds are applauded by one's fellow shadow lords, although personal vendettas against other members could easily result in fatalities among the ranks. Shadow lords are expected to treat each other courteously—which can be quite horrifying when two opposing death knights sit for tea among hundreds of slain bodies. Each may expect reasonable quarter from another, with the assumption that the same courtesy will be returned. There are shadow lords of great honour, whose word is their bond; just as common is the shadow lord who is as chaotic, untrustworthy, and unreasoning as a storm cloud. Because of this mix of adherence to personal honour at all costs, combined with wanton chaos, the shadow lords have gained a reputation as the ones to seek out for difficult feats, especially those involving destruction or grey morality. They are known for always achieving their goal, no matter what may get in their way. Even when an employer has changed his or her mind, the shadow lord will still complete her task. When one has an end that must be attained—with no care for the consequences—seek out the shadow lords. A death knight on a mission brings chaos and destruction with her. When large groups of shadow lords assemble for a job, it is seen as a sign that great carnage and chaos is imminent. In addition to their mercenary aspects—and it is whispered, their unspoken goal of spreading discord—the shadow lords do have their useful functions. Most notably, they are entreated by their Order to shrive all battlefields they encounter, whether created by their own efforts or not. The death knights meditate amidst the carnage, listening to the whispers of those departed soldiers. This ritual helps to ensure that no ghostly platoon or death-mist will ever arise from the site. However, it is suspected that there is a secondary and sinister purpose to the ritual, one known only to senior shadow lords and certain powerful necromancers [see Army of the Damned below]. They also perhaps aid the social good by acting as a focal point for those who would otherwise join another knightly order and compromise the moral standings of those other knightly organisations. The symbol of the Order is an 8-pointed cross on a black field, although not all death knights choose to bear it. Many however, incorporate this symbol into their personal crest. All shadow lords swear to uphold the tenets of the Crimson Code, although some disreputable knights intentionally do not. The only thing that a shadow lord may be truly trusted to do is to look after his own interests—although if those interests coincide with your own, you will find no greater blade with which to stab fear into the hearts of your mutual enemies. Category:Death Category:Class